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Old 10-12-2014, 08:30 AM
 
3,118 posts, read 5,357,689 times
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To make a long story short, I got let go at a company when I did not deserve to. The two people I worked directly with (one under) are already offering to refer me to other jobs and be references. I just had an interview with an employer who personally knows the owner and VP (they let me go) of the small company I got let go from, but I told him in the interview that I didn't see them much or work with them on anything. Another guy who interviewed me asked for some references from that company and I gave these positive references to him.

Basically if they call the owner or VP they will probably tell him directly or indirectly not to hire me despite it being illegal, because they know each other well. If they call my references, I'm sure I will get the job. Which do you think they will call? What do you think will happen?
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Old 10-12-2014, 09:17 AM
 
Location: East Bay, San Francisco Bay Area
23,539 posts, read 24,029,400 times
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I think you answered the question yourself: your new prospective employer knows the owner and VP, so in all probability, those people will be contacted.
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Old 10-12-2014, 09:30 AM
 
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,585 posts, read 81,186,228 times
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How is that illegal? There is no law against advising someone not to hire a person that they know or have worked with. We will normally call all of the references given and will keep trying until we talk to at least two, but if HR/hiring manager knows the owner or manager, they would most likely call him/her too even if not listed as a reference.
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Old 10-12-2014, 10:47 AM
 
10,755 posts, read 5,672,124 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jman07 View Post
To make a long story short, I got let go at a company when I did not deserve to. The two people I worked directly with (one under) are already offering to refer me to other jobs and be references. I just had an interview with an employer who personally knows the owner and VP (they let me go) of the small company I got let go from, but I told him in the interview that I didn't see them much or work with them on anything. Another guy who interviewed me asked for some references from that company and I gave these positive references to him.

Basically if they call the owner or VP they will probably tell him directly or indirectly not to hire me despite it being illegal, because they know each other well. If they call my references, I'm sure I will get the job. Which do you think they will call? What do you think will happen?
If the reason(s) they give are true, what would be illegal about that?
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Old 10-12-2014, 11:44 AM
 
3,118 posts, read 5,357,689 times
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Ok. Not illegal. But employers can be sued for giving negative opinions.
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Old 10-12-2014, 12:17 PM
 
Location: GA
399 posts, read 568,468 times
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Just because someone is sued doesn't mean they lose. Employers are only held liable if the negative opinion that was given was not true or something they believed not to be true. They can say all kinds of TRUTHFUL negative stuff and never be held responsible.

Besides, even if what this particular employer said to their friends was untrue, in order for you to prevail, you'd literally have to have one friend testify against the other. You think they're going to do that? Over YOU?
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Old 10-12-2014, 12:31 PM
 
3,118 posts, read 5,357,689 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dmk31088 View Post
Just because someone is sued doesn't mean they lose. Employers are only held liable if the negative opinion that was given was not true or something they believed not to be true. They can say all kinds of TRUTHFUL negative stuff and never be held responsible.

Besides, even if what this particular employer said to their friends was untrue, in order for you to prevail, you'd literally have to have one friend testify against the other. You think they're going to do that? Over YOU?
Ok. We can argue details all day long. The moral of the story is that most employers will only verify job titles and dates of employment and will not give opinions on employees.
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Old 10-12-2014, 12:37 PM
 
Location: North Carolina
282 posts, read 444,393 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jman07 View Post
Ok. We can argue details all day long. The moral of the story is that most employers will only verify job titles and dates of employment and will not give opinions on employees.

If someone they know calls--particularly if it's someone with whom they have a valued business relationship--they are more likely to give details.

On the other hand, just because the interviewer knows them, it doesn't mean he likes or respects them. I can think of a couple people in my field who would know a good employee even if the employee tripled their profits. Those people I would not call.
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Old 10-12-2014, 01:54 PM
 
Location: Seattle
1,384 posts, read 2,692,989 times
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How common are reference checks these days? When I received 2 offers a month ago none had me provide references.
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Old 10-12-2014, 02:34 PM
 
Location: GA
399 posts, read 568,468 times
Reputation: 1163
Quote:
Originally Posted by Boosane View Post
How common are reference checks these days? When I received 2 offers a month ago none had me provide references.
Granted, I've only worked for 4 separate employers in the last 15 years, 2 being in the last 18 months, ALL of my employers (including my most recent one) have done IN DEPTH reference and background checks.
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